Alex Len...LET HIM GO!

[JS22]

Please no Nash as a Head Coach. Hire him as an assistant, give him something to do in the Front Office, but please, stop with the Head Coach thing.

Oh I agree.

I just wouldn't put it past this team to try and do it.

 

[AZCrazy]

Great players can't coach. Normal players can't do the things that came easily to them

I wouldn't get into a bidding war for Len, but he has improved a lot. To win in this league you need talent and depth. Len would make a good rotational center, as long as someone else can come into the position as well. Chandler is probably done soon, Monroe is okay, but will likely move on. Alan Williams has been out injured but was a spark at center when playing last year, and may be just different enough from Len to keep the opposition off balance. I'd keep him if the price isn't wrong.

 

[Chaplin]

I'm not saying Nash should be the head coach, but come on. We all know he was coaching when he was playing, so even though the odds are long that he could be a good coach, he has a pedigree that most players, no matter how good, don't have.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Nash doesn’t seem like a coach to me. I could see him in the front office though.

Nash was a coach on the floor, but there is a big difference between that and the sideline. A lot of what he did was instinctive.

 

[Chaplin]

Nash doesn’t seem like a coach to me. I could see him in the front office though.

Nash was a coach on the floor, but there is a big difference between that and the sideline. A lot of what he did was instinctive.

Instinctive BECAUSE he knew his players and their capabilities. And how to use them in different situations. Sounds like sound coaching from the sidelines to me. Again, not advocating him becoming a head coach right away, just saying that he has inherent skills that could lend itself to the practice.

 

[Errntknght]

I imagine the Suns could offload a good bit of the HC duties that Triano doesn't like. I'd bet that the Spurs do that for Popovich - he sure doesn't waste much time talking to the press. Nor does ne expend much effort worrying about when the league wants him to do. I'd guess that everyone else in their FO has as their first duty keeping Popovich happy.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Instinctive BECAUSE he knew his players and their capabilities. And how to use them in different situations. Sounds like sound coaching from the sidelines to me. Again, not advocating him becoming a head coach right away, just saying that he has inherent skills that could lend itself to the practice.

Could have easily said the same about Magic though, Chap. And Jason Kidd who has been super mediocre as coach.

 

[JCSunsfan]

I imagine the Suns could offload a good bit of the HC duties that Triano doesn't like. I'd bet that the Spurs do that for Popovich - he sure doesn't waste much time talking to the press. Nor does ne expend much effort worrying about when the league wants him to do. I'd guess that everyone else in their FO has as their first duty keeping Popovich happy.

I doubt it. The things that Triano doesn't like are stuff like office politics, talking to the media, etc.

 

[Chaplin]

Could have easily said the same about Magic though, Chap. And Jason Kidd who has been super mediocre as coach.

Very good points that I will definitely concede.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Very good points that I will definitely concede.

I just don’t know if superstar players ever make great Head Coaches. Most of them were blessed with such an specific set of talents, that maybe it makes it tough on them to really relate to every player on the team. Who knows... only legendary player I can remember having major success was Bird taking the Pacers to the Finals once against the Lakers.

Otherwise, the great ones always seemed to be the role players... Reilly, Jackson, Rudy T (to an extent), Kerr.

 

[95pro]

Derek Fisher anyone? joking...

 

[Hoop Head]

That makes me curious who the best player is that had success as a coach. Maybe Kevin McHale? He was a 7 time All-Star and a solid coach.

I can't think of many other All-Star players who have had any success coaching. Kidd is probably the closest thing currently but he's an average coach at best. Bird had some success coaching but he got out quickly. Hornacek was an All-Star but hasn't had any success coaching yet, I think it's unlikely he will have much either.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

That makes me curious who the best player is that had success as a coach. Maybe Kevin McHale? He was a 7 time All-Star and a solid coach.

I can't think of many other All-Star players who have had any success coaching. Kidd is probably the closest thing currently but he's an average coach at best. Bird had some success coaching but he got out quickly. Hornacek was an All-Star but hasn't had any success coaching yet, I think it's unlikely he will have much either.

Wasn’t Riley an all star?

 

[Hoop Head]

Wasn’t Riley an all star?

He was a champion but I don't see him listed as an All-Star.

https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/r/rileypa01.html

 

[JCSunsfan]

Jerry West and Lenny Wilkins come to mind.

 

[Superbone]

Wasn’t Riley an all star?

No, he was a bit player. He was on the Suns 1976 Finals team but got no run.

 

[Hoop Head]

Westphal was an All-Star but he didn't have much success as a coach outside his initial run here in Phoenix. Can't help but wonder how that 92-93 team would have been if Cotton had stuck around for another year as coach instead of handing the reigns over to Westphal early.

I highly doubt the team would have struggled early in the playoffs, falling behind 0-2 against the Lakers in the first round. Having played in 5 first round games, 3 of them being must win, they were fatigued when they faced the Spurs and Sonics. They had to play 5, 6, and 7 games in the previous series compared to the Bulls who played in 3, 4, and 6. The Suns had home court, which might have helped had they been better rested but they played 5 more games leading into the finals than the Bulls.

 

[Chaplin]

I just don’t know if superstar players ever make great Head Coaches. Most of them were blessed with such an specific set of talents, that maybe it makes it tough on them to really relate to every player on the team. Who knows... only legendary player I can remember having major success was Bird taking the Pacers to the Finals once against the Lakers.

Otherwise, the great ones always seemed to be the role players... Reilly, Jackson, Rudy T (to an extent), Kerr.

I don’t disagree with you, I just think Nash was different then the others talked about.

 

[Mainstreet]

How about Jerry Sloan. Excellent coach.

 

[BC867]

I just don’t know if superstar players ever make great Head Coaches. Most of them were blessed with such an specific set of talents, that maybe it makes it tough on them to really relate to every player on the team. Who knows... only legendary player I can remember having major success was Bird taking the Pacers to the Finals once against the Lakers.

Otherwise, the great ones always seemed to be the role players... Reilly, Jackson, Rudy T (to an extent), Kerr.

That has been the case in Major League Baseball as well. The majority of great players have been average coaches at best. And the majority of great Head Coaches/Managers were average players.

For the reason that you stated. Ted Williams exemplified it better than anyone. He expected his players to train and play as conscientiously as he but, if that were the norm, you wouldn't need a great coach.

 

[Raindog]

Billy Cunningham, K.C. Jones, Tommy Heinsohn, Lenny Wilkens... all HOF players who also won championship as coaches.

 

[Errntknght]

I'm impressed Raindog

 

[BC867]

Billy Cunningham, K.C. Jones, Tommy Heinsohn, Lenny Wilkens... all HOF players who also won championship as coaches.

To be fair, though, how do those four compare to the count of all the HOF players who were marginal as Head Coaches?

 

[JCSunsfan]

To be fair, though, how do those four compare to the count of all the HOF players who were marginal as Head Coaches?

Most coaches are marginal whether they be HOF players, former scrubs or just basketball nerds.

 

[BC867]

Most coaches are marginal whether they be HOF players, former scrubs or just basketball nerds.

I've thought about that opinion. And I don't think it's accurate. Just as any "marginal" NBA player is heads and shoulders above any not in the NBA, so it is with Head Coaches.

We take them for granted, but their job is not easy. Motivating instant millionaires to come prepared, give their all and work together. Dealing with an increased amount of teenagers drafted after one year of college.

More than ever, it takes coaching skill to do the job right. And I still believe that players who had to be 100% all of the time to succeed on the court make better Head Coaches than former superstars, whose entire roster will never reach their level of individual accomplishment.